1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling device, a cooling-control method, and a storage medium having program stored thereon, suitable for a projector or the like in which a semiconductor light-emitting element is cooled by using, for example, a Peltier element.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique configured to cool a CPU or the like by using a cooling device utilizing the Peltier effect, and arranged thereon has been contrived. (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 09-307030)
A Peltier element is used to forcibly cool an exothermic member by absorbing heat from the exothermic member as an object to be cooled and, unlike the air cooling system configured to carry out heat exchange between the exothermic member and external air by using a cooling fan, it is capable of cooling (has the capability of cooling) the exothermic member to a temperature less than the temperature of the external air.
Accordingly, when the exothermic member is cooled to a temperature less than a dew point determined by the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere around the exothermic member, condensation forms on the exothermic member and, consequently, there is the possibility of electronic components or the like constituting the exothermic member being damaged.
Techniques including the technique described in above-mentioned Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 09-307030, configured to prevent condensation forming on an exothermic member as an object to be cooled by adjusting a cooling operation to be carried out by a Peltier element are variously contrived.
However, by using a method in which the degree of cooling to be carried out by a Peltier element is simply controlled such that the temperature does not reach the dew point, the required cooling state cannot be maintained consequently, and thus it is even conceivable that, if the exothermic member which is the object to be cooled is, for example, a CPU, reduction of the operation speed or thermal runaway will be caused.
Therefore, it is difficult, to operate the exothermic member while keeping the member in an appropriate state.